Yuigahama Beach Sunset – Kamakura
A couple of weeks ago when I visited Kamakura I took these photos of the Yuigahama beach at sunset, after a short rainstorm. The clouds were clearing up and the moon was there, one of my favorite times in one of my favorite places. There were still a few surfers out in the ocean, they must be a hardy bunch!
Yuigahama beach faces south, so it is tricky to photograph during the day. I have so far made many visits to beaches facing south, east and west but I have never spent any longer amount of time on a beach facing north! That is one of the things on my to do list in life. The north coast of Japan is still a big blank for me.
In the autumn or early winter the worst of the summer storms have passed, few people visit the beach and it is cleaner than during spring or summer. I still found one unopened package of Onikoroshi, a supermarket brand of Japanese sake. I am almost addicted to beach combing and whenever I visit this beach I bring a small garbage bag to collect garbage, plastic, pieces of glass and anything that does not belong to the beach. I wish everyone was as manic as me, the beach would be spotless in no time! One short stroll along the beach usually results in a well filled garbage bag that I put in the trash cans near the stairs leading down to the beach. The only thing I never collect is forgotten children’s toys. I always have a secret wish that the child who forgot it will come back and find it again. I wonder if that ever happens in real life?
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Hi from Spain. Whaooo! I love these photos. The sense of vastness and those dark colors blending.
It is so sweet of you to think in the children. We too like to clean when we go to the beach and i have the sense that more people, specially young people are well aware that caring for nature is a civic responsibility.
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Thank you Lola, for the very kind comment! Yes, I have a feeling we are going towards a cleaner century. I almost never see young people littering these days…!
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Beach cleanup days are common in the US — generally volunteer groups will spend a few hours really cleaning an area. I’m surprised the equivalent doesn’t happen in Japan. (Although I’m more surprised that the normally-spotless-street mentality doesn’t extend to the beach!)
Finally going to Kamakura and the nearby island next week. Maybe I’ll time it to catch the moon, especially since it rises relatively early in the afternoon. (It seems like the mission of my trip this time is to avoid concrete at all costs! Easier than I thought, actually.)
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Oh there are clean up groups, both volunteer ones that gather regularly and also municipal workers. The problem is with garbage drifting in from the ocean, stuff being blow off from trash cans that have been opened by birds and raccoons, and people just accidentally dropping stuff. It is after all within an hour and a half from 35 million people. Considering that I like to think that this beach is AMAZINGLY clean. I have seen far worse on deserted islands…
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Most gloooomiest beach scape I’ve ever seen. In fact, it’s great !
North-facing sea looks always gloomy. 🙂
The reason why Japanese doesn’t pick other’s rubbish is, it’s because of
“Engacho” = Other’s body and possessions are religiously regarded to be
filthy, hence never touch.
I like your mind over child’s toys —– it’s so sweet.
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Thank you Yoshizen! I am always amazed how such a beach near so many people can be so deserted! I guess I am lucky that Japanese generally aren’t too fond of this place.
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What a beautiful and at the same time ominous sky! And bravo to you for the beach-combing!
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Thank you Marie! I love beach combing, I don’t really care if it is garbage or treasure, there is something basic about picking things up that has been relinquished by the ocean, it feels almost primeval in some ways. (^-^;)
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